Mainsail removal with Antal Mainsail Track Cars

[jrobert890]

Hi Folks,

I have a new boat this season, at least new for me. I am about to remove my mainsail today or tomorrow. Any advice on how to remove the sail with the Antal cars? Do the cars come off via a gate or do the cars remain on the track? Any help is appreciated. Thank you.

[SailFastTri]

Not that familiar with the Antal, but if it's a ball bearing car there should be a small section of track on the mast (down low) which is removable. Your boat should also have come with sections of track that you can put in that place to "load" the cars for transport. (You will have loose bearings rolling everywhere if you screw up and let a car come off the track.)

There is no need to remove the cars for winter -- if that's what you're thinking. The only time to remove them is to make mast or car repairs, or replace bearings. If you keep the tracks rinsed or just run a damp rag every spring, the balls will last 10 or 20 years.

[SailFastTri]

PS -- After you rinse/wipe the tracks in Spring, use McLube OneDrop ball bearing conditioner and lubricant. Follow directions -- you don't need much. That will keep things rolling nicely.


One other thing you might not know is that you can reef while running downwind; if you have ball bearing batten cars and full battens. That's a safety advantage (especially for multihulls) because rounding-up results in increased apparent wind (not something you want when you're already overpowered).

[Cheechako]

"balls rolling everywhere" I remember that! My cat had the Harken bearings. I was amazed how easy it is to screw up and end up with a mess.

[SailFastTri]

Originally Posted by jrobert890

Hi Folks,

I have a new boat this season, at least new for me. I am about to remove my mainsail today or tomorrow. Any advice on how to remove the sail with the Antal cars? Do the cars come off via a gate or do the cars remain on the track? Any help is appreciated. Thank you.

I just read this again and there is no need to remove the cars to remove the sail. The batten holders attach to the cars with a pin or bolt, and that's what you need to release from the cars.
If it's a bolt it probably uses a nylock nut, and the bolt stays attached to the sail. Unscrew the nut (and after the bolt is removed from the car) put it back finger-tight so it's right there again where you need it when you're ready to re-mount the sail.

Or, you could keep the nuts together in small a ziplock bag but make sure you label it "batten attachment" and have a "place" for it on the boat so you don't move it around over the winter. I can't say how many times I've misplaced tools or parts because I forgot the past place I put them.

[HBrew]

I have an Antal track on my boat and removing the main is very easy. I just undo the stopper car at the bottom of the track and remove it through a small gap. Then slide the cars one by one off the track until you get to the head and refit the stoppper car. Just leave the cars on the main.

[Palarran]

I don't know the brand of my batt cars but all my rope clutches are Antal so it would make sense that the batt cars are also. It's much easier than anyone has said so far. If you look at the batten it has a ball that slides into the car. Just below that there is a slot that you put a screw driver in and pull down. It releases the batten and the car stays on the mast.